Cheruiyot Strike Hands Mara Sugar Crucial Win Over Mathare United
Dennis Cheruiyot’s second-half finish proved decisive as Mara Sugar edged Mathare United 1-0 at MISC Kasarani, keeping the visitors firmly on course while the SlumBoys were left to rue missed chances.
Mara Sugar walked away from MISC Kasarani with all three points after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mathare United, settled by a single goal from Dennis Cheruiyot early in the second half. It was a contest defined by fine margins, spells of pressure from both sides, and moments of quality that ultimately favoured the visitors.
Mathare United started brightly and asserted themselves early. Musa tested the Mara Sugar defence inside the opening five minutes with a fierce drive from outside the box that required a fingertip save. The SlumBoys continued to probe, with Kinyanjui lively down the flank and later stinging the goalkeeper’s palms with a left-footed strike after weaving into the danger area. Despite their energy and territorial dominance, clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
Mara Sugar gradually grew into the game and began to threaten through Timothy Ndayala and Felix Opiyo. Ouru was called into action before the break, producing a sharp fingertip save to push Opiyo’s well-struck free kick over the bar. At the interval, the scores remained level, with both teams believing they could claim the upper hand.
The breakthrough arrived seven minutes after the restart. Dennis Cheruiyot latched onto Mara Sugar’s opening and finished calmly to put the visitors ahead. That single moment shifted the momentum and forced Mathare to chase the game with greater urgency.
Mathare United responded with intent. Kinyanjui whipped dangerous balls into the area, Masika and Asieche got into promising positions, and Musa again impressed with direct running that earned corners and unsettled the Mara backline. One of the best chances fell to Kinyanjui, whose effort from a wide area agonizingly missed the target.
Mara Sugar were not content to simply defend their lead. Tony Omondi nearly doubled the advantage after racing through on goal, but Ouru showed excellent awareness to narrow the angle and force a rushed finish. Ndayala also came close following a corner, only to see his effort narrowly miss, underlining the visitors’ threat on the break.
As the final minutes ticked away, Mathare threw everything forward. Substitutions were made in search of fresh energy, and late pressure kept Mara Sugar pinned back. However, four added minutes came and went without the breakthrough Mathare craved.
At the final whistle, Mara Sugar celebrated a disciplined and mature away performance, while Mathare United were left frustrated by a lack of cutting edge despite encouraging spells of play. For Mara Sugar, Cheruiyot’s goal was enough. For Mathare, it was another painful reminder that strong performances must still be matched with decisive moments in front of goal.
